Barack Obama: America’s #1 Liberal

…if you follow Robert Frost and define a liberal as a man “who is too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.”

He lets Daschle go today after allegedly fully backing him yesterday.

More to the point for this weblog, in the Senate, he completely checks out on the fight over transit funding, which could be the best long-term, energy-independent, and greenest stimulus there is. Obviously, Larry Summers, who did such a wonderful job with the international economy in the 90’s, has apparently persuaded the President that moving away from auto dependency is a bad thing.

Senate Republicans just filibustered the Murray Amendment, which would have opened up the bill for more transit. Cloture failed by two votes, one of which was a missing Ted Kennedy (who surely would have shown had it been necessary).

The other? Judd Gregg. Who just nominated him for something?

Meanwhile, alleged Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (R-IL) has been taken to an undisclosed location. No one seems to have heard from him.

Maybe Obama will put all this stuff back in during the budget, which cannot be filibustered. But if you cave to your enemies and don’t back up your friends, you’ll find yourself with a lot of the former and few of the latter.

Daschle, Energy, Judd Gregg, Obama, Ray LaHood, Transportation